At the theatrical cartoon studios, Warner Bros. was changing the guard with Johnny Burton leaving, while Hank Saperstein, who had acquired TV rights for the Mr. Magoo cartoons, was about to take over the studio that made them, UPA. Universal had a contract with Walter Lantz, but he was loath to make an animated feature, so the studio bought one from Russia and spent huge dump trucks full of money to promote it. You all remember The Snow Queen.
Meanwhile, at film festivals, European-made and American independent animated shorts were being screened to critical acclaim, including John Hubley’s Moonbird.
Let’s look at what Variety had to say about cartoons in the first half of 1960, with a side glance to Motion Picture Daily. Warners was developing the Bugs Bunny Show. Jack Kinney was working at the Format Films studio churning out Popeyes for TV. They were successes. Less successful were Sam Bassett, Hound For Hire and a series starring the Nutty Squirrels, a Chipmunks musical rip-off who had their idea for a cartoon series ripped off by the Chipmunks. Unfortunately, the Squirrels series was done on the ultra-cheap and the bulk of each show consisted of foreign cartoons for which the producers had acquired the TV rights. King Features had grandiose ideas, few of which came to fruition. And there were the B-listers Q.T. Hush and Courageous Cat.
There were a lot of silly tussles over film titles, too, including one case that Walt Disney actually lost.
January 6, 1960
Five American non-theatrical films which copped prizes at last summer's Venice festival were honored here last week at a special showing sponsored by CINE, the Committee on International Non-Theatrical Events....
The winning films were: ... "Moonbird," produced by John Hubley, cartoon winner.
Walter Lantz was honored by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors yesterday when the Board presented Lantz with a scroll in recognition of his 40th anniversary as a cartoon film maker.
Supervisor Ernest E. Debs introduced the resolution which paid tribute to Lantz for his many civic and charitable contributions as well as being an outstanding member of the motion picture industry for the past 40 years.
January 8, 1960
Walt Disney Productions and domestic subsidiaries reported yesterday a net profit of $3,400,228 for fiscal 1969, ending last Oct. 8. This figure marks a decline from the previous year's profit of $3,865,473....
Principal reasons why 1959 earnings slumped from 1958, according to the statement, was the smaller margin of profit from some theatrical films, notably the $6,000,000 "Sleeping Beauty," and higher production costs on tv product.
" 'Sleeping Beauty' will be our largest grossing cartoon feature to date," said the statement, "but its production cost probably precludes any profit from its initial three-to-five-year world-wide release."
January 13, 1960>
From Boise, Idaho, to Poland Springs, Me., stations are showing a big city sophistication in buying dubbed foreign pix product from Flamingo Films....
Flamingo is starting to acquire new pix product and by late spring hopes to have up to 52 new pix to distribute to tv. Outfit also is negotiating for a cartoon package.
January 14, 1960
ABC-TV and Warner Bros. have made a deal for a new half-hour "Bugs Bunny" program which the network will slot next fall Wednesdays at 7:30 as its answer to NBC's "Wagon Train."
Series will comprise 26 half-hours, each consisting half of post-'48 theatrical cartoons never shown on tv, and half new animation comprising introductions and additional story-type material on the "Bugs Bunny" character. "Bugs" will host the show as well.
Unusual pattern for the 26 repeats is planned. Each show will be stripped down and reedited so that each of the repeats will constitute a reshuffling of the original material and no one repeat program will be the same as the original.
The pre-'48 "Bugs Bunnies" are currently in television via syndication, being handled primarily by United Artists Associated, the UA subsidiary which took over Associated Artists Productions. AAP acquired the cartoons In its $21,000,000 buyup of the complete WB backlog some five years ago.
January 20, 1960
Rhapsody of Steel
An all-animated film, this undertaking was in excess of $300,000 and as of now about 250 prints are in work at theatres across the country. More may be added. A Broadway first-run, the Victoria, has it booked along with numerous other key city showcases, all of whom have the same deal: They neither pay, nor are they paid; it's a gratis arrangement.
Splendidly tinted by Technicolor, the subject is both entertaining and educational. It tells the story of steel, from a giant meteor hurtling through space and hitting the surface of the earth, to the forging of the black metal for primitive weapons and then to the development and refinement and the use of steel in everyone's everyday living. The saga unfolds skillfully. It's done in serious vein for the most part, but with enough whimsy and imagination injected in the cartooning to delight the onlooker. Along with the pictorial values is a Dimitri Tiomkin score, recorded by the Pittsburgh Symphony, that is fittingly strong and powerful when matching, say, the giant crucibles on screen, and light and airy when the sketched subject matter is not so heavyweight.
An LP album accompanies the print to each theatre but this is not being marketed separately.
After some intra-mural discussion about the wisdom of the move, U.S. Steel went ahead with earlier-drawn plans to open "Rhapsody" at the Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, on Dec. 4. One can indeed question the fittingness of such unveiling, in such an area, when the steel industry strike was in full swing.
Otherwise, all's fine with "Rhapsody." Gene.
John W. Burton yesterday resigned as executive in charge of Warner Bros.' cartoon division. He has been with company and division's predecessor, Leon Schlesinger Productions, for 27 years.
January 21, 1960
Warner Bros. yesterday announced the merger of its tv commercial and industrial films division with its cartoon division. David H. DePatie, general manager of the commercial and industrial films division, has bean appointed general manager of a combined division.
Charles M. Jones and Isadore Freeling are continuing under new contracts as the creative talent for the cartoon product. Under the new management, Warners expects to expand the combined division's activities, which will include 30 theatrical cartoons to be produced this year.
January 27, 1960
"Winky Dink & You" is coming back to tv. The former CBS-TV Saturday ayem cartoons have been put on motion picture film to make 260 five- and six-minute short subjects for the syndication market.
Stations this time around are going to be cut in for 50% of the profits on sale of the "Winky Dink" home drawing kits, if they buy the package. It is understood that one of the reasons CBS-TV decided to cancel the longrunning Saturday series in May of '57 (after four years on the air) was that the affils were demanding a cut of the merchandising profits. To cut the stations in would have created an awkward precedent that might then have been applied to other shows.
The cartoons (which kids at home can draw by applying transparencies to the tv screen and then by tracing) are being distribbed by Frank Abrahams, who has quit the Goodson-Todman office to establish his own distribution company, Manhattan Productions.
Abrahams got rights from Harry Pritchartt, who dreamed up "Winky Dink" in '53 and then took it to Barry & Enright to produce. When it went off the air, all rights to the cartoons reverted completely to Pritchartt, according to Abrahams.
February 1, 1960
The Three Stooges, impressed with the success Screen Gems has been having in the television sale of their old theatrical shorts, are planning a new series of their own. Show, skein of 39 half-hours, will be a co-production between the trio's Comedy Three Productions and Norman Maurer Productions.
Series will be part animation, part live-action, and will be wholly financed by the Stooges and Maurer, who writes most of their material and who will produce. They've already set a deal with TV Spots Inc. for a series of 78 five-minute cartoons featuring the Stooges, and the show would consist of two such cartoon sequences with the balance live-action.
Animation gets underway immediately, and live-action filming on the pilot on Feb. 25. Stooges and Maurer will finance the pilot entirely on their own. The William Morris office will handle sale of the package.
Stooges, Moe Howard, Joe DiRita and Larry Fine, point out that material will be suitable for children, with less violence than the theatrical shorts. Trio has not been sharing in the Screen Gems take, except by personal appearances, cafe dates and a new theatrical pic based on the teleseries' success.
February 3, 1960
Three pix which have just completed their theatrical rerun are being offered as possible web specials by National Telefilm Associates.
The three pix are the full length feature cartoon "Gulliver's Travels," "Hoppity Goes to Town," another feature length cartoon, and David O. Selznick's "Adventures of Tom Sawyer." Pitch for the network airing is to telecast each as a holiday vehicle for a national sponsor.
February 10, 1960
A 16m Dutch film, "Rembrandt," made by Bert Haanstra, snagged the grand prix at the University of Chile's first International Documentary Fest which attracted 43 entries from 17 countries. Eleven awards were made at the festival's closing ceremony. Two American shorts, "New York, New York" and [John Hubley’s] "The Adventures of X," latter from the Guggenheim Museum—got the kudos for "experimental documentary" and "animated cartoon," respectively.
Five Soviet shorts failed to win any awards.
February 11, 1960
Nominations are:
Cartoon subjects: "Mexicali Shmoes," Warner Bros., John W. Burton, producer; "Moonbird," Storyboard, Inc., Edward Harrison, John Hubley, producer; "Noah's Ark," Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Film Distribution Co., Inc., Walt Disney, producer; "The Violinist," Pintoff Productions, Inc., Kingsley International Pictures Corp.
February 12, 1960
Universal-International, having registered "Bellboys" as the title for a Walter Lantz cartoon, has filed an MPAA protest against Paramount's "The Bellboy." The Par title is for Jerry Lewis' comedy which currently is shooting in Florida.
UI also protested Paramount’s title, "Scouting For Trouble," basing its complaint on its registration of a similar title, "Looking For Trouble." A third UI protest warn against 20th-Fox’s "Simon Bolivar," based on UPs own registration of the title for Herbert Kline's forthcoming film to be lensed in South America. The 20th registration reportedly was speculative and involves neither a property nor a definite film project.
February 15, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
"Inside Magoo," a special Technicolor animated cartoon starring the nearsighted Mister Magoo and Jim Backus as his voice, has been completed by Stephen Bosustow, head of UPA, and is now available for theatrical bookings by exhibitors across the country, the American Cancer Society announced.
The six-minute cartoon's purpose is to motivate the public through the film medium to visit its doctor for a cancer checkup. Magoo is presented in a series of misadventures before he inadvertently gets his checkup. "Inside Magoo" is being distributed by Columbia Pictures, and exhibitors may order free prints of the film through their local units of the American Cancer Society.
February 18, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
With Sandra Dee, in the role of princess, aided by Tommy Kirk and Patty McCormack, Universal-International's feature-length cartoon, "The Snow Queen," will be accorded a for-kids world premiere at the Fox Empire Theatre next Monday morning, Washington's Birthday and a bank holiday.
A veritable "who's who" among the children of Hollywood notables will [attend] the daylight premiere, many of them accompanied by their famous parents. In addition, the entire Hollywood press corps have been invited to attend the affair with their youngsters.
February 23, 1960
Metro, with "Ben-Hur" in release, has filed protest against a similar title registered by Warner Bros. cartoon. The title—"Ben Hare."
February 24, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
Exhibitors Told of Big U-I 'Snow' Campaign
By SAUL OSTROVE
To fully publicize the full-length feature cartoon in Eastman Color, U-I hopes to combine the best of "Walt Disney-type salesmanship and the best of our own showmanship," said Philip Gerard, Eastern advertising and publicity director.
Comic pages in the Sunday supplements of the Daily News, Journal-American and Daily Mirror will feature ads for "The Snow Queen" next month. The April number of Parents Magazine and the April 12 issue of Look also will have ads for the film, producing an all-publications circulation of 7,000,000 in Metropolitan New York devoted to exploitation for the film.
Local children's shows on radio and television will lend their services to "The Snow Queen" drive during the next six weeks, as will several adult programs.
A special events tie-in will be the celebration April 2 of the 155th birthday of Hans Christian Andersen, author of "The Snow Queen."
Grossinger's Hotel in New York State this weekend will observe a "Snow Queen" winter carnival which includes a preview of the picture. National, press, radio and television coverage is guaranteed for the event, Gerard said.
Stars of the picture, whose voices are dubbed in the Russian-produced film, will make key city publicity tours during the campaign.
February 26, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
A special section devoted to the promotional campaign of Universale "The Snow Queen" is published in the current issue of "Motion Picture Herald," out today. The eight-page illustrated section, in color, describes in detail the elaborate national pre-selling and local depth selling for the cartoon feature.
Included are the magazine and newspaper advertising campaign, a tie-in with the Hans Christian Andersen birthday observance, special events, star and personality tours, television and radio, records, a premium deal, merchandise and product tie-ups, organization tie-ups, and national publicity.
February 29, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
Paramount Pictures plans a long-range expansion of its activities in the field of short subjects, it was announced at the weekend by George Weltner, vice-president in charge of world sales. The company will produce and distribute a new series entitled "Sports Illustrated," he said. ...
The Paramount "Sports Illustrated" short subjects will be in addition to the company's regular output of color cartoons. During 1960, Paramount Cartoon Studios will produce 20 new subjects, which will be supplemented by the re-release of eight cartoon "champions" and an additional new series to be announced, consisting of live-action color shorts.
March 9, 1960
UPA has completed a series of animated commercials for General Electric's lamp division featuring the theatrical cartoon character Mr. Magoo (the nearsighted) as a guy much in need of adequate lighting. BBDO is the agency.
March 14, 1960
WALT DISNEY PRESENTS
(This Is Your Life, Donald Duck)
Fri., 7:30-8:30 p.m., KABC-TV Walt Disney must have sprung a surprise on the lookers-in at his Friday night hour—and also his sponsors. What unfolded for the hour was a Donald Duck cartoon hung on a peg that gave it the semblance of a story line but withal a pen-and-inker of the mischievous quacker. The sub-teeners had their big inning but Hills Bros, (coffee) and Canada Dry, two of the three sponsors, may have wondered if they were selling to the right audience.
Ralph Edwards was freely credited for use of the title but was nowhere about. All of Donald's friends were assembled to pay him tribute in their own frivolous fashion. Disney was the only live segment. Albert Bertino, Dave Detiege and Nick George were credited with scripting; Jack Hannah and C. August Nichols directed. Helm
March 16, 1960
Of the 22 nations (110 pix) represented at the recently terminated Sixth International Short Film Festival of Oberhausen, the U.S. walked off with the highest number of awards, four in all. It captured one of the six major awards (each 1,000 D-Marks) for John Hubley's cartoon, "Moonbird."
Cartoon awards went to "Piccolo" (Yugoslavia), "An Inspector Comes" (Yugoslavia) and "Moonbird" (U.S.).
As its initial effort, the company is offering "Hound for Hire," a series written, directed and produced by Davis, who is currently in Europe supervising the final editing and scoring. The animation is being done by cartoon companies in France and Yugoslavia. The original plan is to make 52 films, with an option for 104. The films, which run from five and half to seven minutes, are all fully plotted, featuring Sam, a bassett hound who plays a deadpan private eye. In addition to the central character, the series presents a varied gallery of 85 animal characterizations.
Epstein, who is president and exec producer of the company, revealed that the first three films is to be delivered by April 1, with the others forthcoming at the rate of one a week. The voice track is currently being recorded by American actors in Paris and Rome.
Epstein indicated that the series was originally contemplated for television, but after the principals of the company had viewed the results, they decided to seek theatrical distribution first. Negotiations are currently taking place with two major companies, according to Epstein.
Production of the cartoons abroad has resulted in a 50% savings, Epstein indicated. While it costs $25,000 to make a single comparable animated film in the U.S., Epstein said that the use of foreign facilities brought the budget down to $12,000 per film. As a result, he maintained that they could make money in the theatrical market dispute the low prices paid by exhibitors for short subjects.
Epstein, in a realistic appraisal of the cartoon market, said his company didn't expect to reap big profits immediately, but he pointed to the important residual value of animated films. He noted, for example, that every two or three years there is a new children's market.
Arthur S. Gross, former veepee of Flamingo Films, has been named sales chief of King Features Television Productions. He'll report to Al Brodax, director of the division.
Major activity of the Hearst subsidiary, has been the production of 208 episodes of a new "Popeye" series. On the market since Jan. 1, the new series has chalked up $2,785,344 in sales in 46 markets, On the immediate prospectus for King Features is a trilogy of animated cartoons entitled "The King & Two." Three separate subjects will be joined in a half-hour show. They are "The Little King," "Beetle Bailey" and "The Katzenjammer Twins." In addition, Brodax will produce a pilot based on the cartoon strip, "Mandrake the Magician" which is set for the fall John O'Toole is writing the script.
Chun King, American-oriental foods, will get an unusual promotion ride from local stations on its new tele spot campaign. Close to $2,500,000 of the company's $3,000,000 campaign spread will go to television. New spots feature four cartoon characters voiced by actors Cliff Norton, Frank Fontaine, Walter Abel and musicomedy thesb Charlotte Rae.
Chun King agency BBDO, Minneapolis, is sending newspaper mats of teaser ads promoting the commercials to stations who have agreed to run them locally as part of the merchandising service. It's believed to be the first newspaper ad campaign to promote blurbs. In addition, Chun King prez Jeno Paulucci is flying to 30 cities on the campaign circuit to preview the blurbs for food brokers and their salesmen been scheduled for all of 1960, and the company intends to schedule similar outlays for the following three years.
Chun King is the biggest oriental food advertiser and claims half the market.
Metro has registered the title, "The Adventures of Little Samurai," with MPAA, indicating company has made a distribution deal for the Japanese feature-length cartoon.
Pic, produced by Tool Animation Studio, runs 83 minutes and is in Eastman Color.
March 17, 1960
Stephen Bosustow, president of UPA, has named Jerry Hausner director of dialogue for UPA's shorts and tv spots.
Art Clokey has closed a deal with Earl Rettig, prexy of NBC's Cal. National, for 104 issues of "Henry and His Playmates," five-minute cartoon series. Clokey was creator and packager of "Gumby.
March 21, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
"The Snow Queen," the full-length animated cartoon feature in Eastman Color based on the famous Hans Christian Andersen story which Universal-International is releasing, has been booked into 230 key situations for the Easter holidays, it was announced by Henry H. "Hi" Martin, Universal vice-president and general sales manager.
Key openings of "The Snow Queen" for Easter include the Lafayette, Buffalo; the Loop, Chicago; the Hippodrome, Cleveland; the Indiana, Indianapolis; the Broadway Capitol, Detroit; the Fulton, Pittsburgh; the Fox, St. Louis; the Joy, New Orleans, and some 75 theatres in the Greater New York area, including the RKO Theatres circuit.
March 22, 1960
Metro, which has purchased distribution rights to the Japanese feature-length cartoon, "The Adventures of the Little Samurai," has withdrawn the title due to its conflict with "The Seven Samurai."
Latter title is for reissue of the Japanese film which originally was released here under the title, "The Magnificent Seven," but has been changed to the original "Seven Samurai" title because of the current Mirisch Co. production. Mirisch pic, titled "The Magnificent Seven" is based on the Japanese film.
A deal for Toei Films, of Tokyo, to produce 150 4½ minute cartoon segments for television will be closed this week by Arthur L. Wilde, repping C. V. Whitney, and Philip Nasser. Pair leave today for the Japanese city.
Whitney portion of the coin comes from frozen funds derived from Japanese release of his three recent features.
March 23, 1960
Cinemagic Corp. readying a children's album based on the "Hound For Hire" cartoon series. Music and lyrics are being written by the series' writer-producer, Phil Davis.
March 24, 1960
Gerry Geronimi, cartoon director who worked 29 years at Walt Disney in both features and shorts, has joined UPA as director of shorts and tv spots. UPA president Stephen Bosustow has assigned Geronimi as director of the theatrical cartoon, "Magoo's Bear Hug."
Motion Picture Daily
Associated Artists Productions announced here yesterday it has introduced complete synchronization sound striped 8mm color and black-and-white cartoons for home motion picture entertainment.
Fred Hyman, general manager of AAP's 8mm home entertainment movies division, who is presenting the sound innovation this week at the annual Master Photo Dealers and Finishers show in St. Louis, also is providing sample sound films to companies exhibiting 8mm sound projectors at the show. The AAP booth there is showing new films in the 8mm catalogue which is being expanded at the rate of three a month.
March 28, 1960
John Elliotte, scripter and one-time cartoonist, has been named head of UPA's new story department by prexy Stephen Bosustow.
March 30, 1960
[Technical Oscar to be presented] To Ub Iwerks of Walt Disney Productions for the design of an improved optical printer for special effects and matte shots. This optical printer combines the images from three projection units simultaneously, each adjustable for position, magnification, film direction, and timing with a viewing device for the operator to check his composite results during line-up and operation. As many as six films may be superimposed at one time in this printer.
March 31, 1960
Hanna-Barbera, now employing 25 percent of the animators and cartoon writers in town, looking to expand headquarters because of a new series (their fourth in production, plus added commercial biz. They'll also turn out 12 theatrical cartoons.
Motion Picture Daily
1st 3 ‘Hound’ Cartoons Due Here by April 10
By SAUL OSTROVE
The first three "Hound for Hire" cartoons to be produced by Cinemagic Corporation International will be completed in Yugoslavia and read for examination by American motion picture companies and television networks by April 10, Arthur Epstein president of Cinemagic, said here yesterday.
Epstein and writer-producer Phil Davis, who will depart at the weekend for another production trip to Zagreb Film Studios in Zagreb Yugoslavia, said the "private eye" cartoons series will be shown in theatres throughout Europe. The six-to-seven minute films are now being dubbed in Italian, French, Spanish and German. Davis, vice-president of the corporation, said all 39 cartoons completed are in Eastman color and utilize full backgrounds.
If the cartoons are shown on network television three of them will be packaged to form a 30-minute program. Thirteen of the cartoons are scheduled for foreign distribution by June 15.
Both executives emphasized the "adult concept" of the series. They said they are assured of enthusiastic reaction from parents and teachers because each story has a moral. Whatever violence must be used will be justified, they added.
April 5, 1960
OSCARS
"Moonbird," Storyboard Inc. winning as best cartoon for Edward Harrison and producer John Hubley.
Flamingo Films will distribute a new cartoon series utilizing "The Nutty Squirrels" characters from the recording field. Animated footage will be produced by Transfilm-Wylde Animation, a Flamingo affiliate, and will be combined with non-squirrel theatrical cartoons to make a package of 150 six-minute tv cartoons.
Deal was set with Don Elliott and Sasha Burland, creators of the characters, who also vocalize their Hanover Records releases. Merchandising deal has been set with Syd Rubin Enterprises.
Made in Russia cartoon feature, "The Snow Queen," is being handled by Universal Pictures with (a) American actors' soundtrack added and (b) a heavy accent on the Kingdom of Denmark homeland of the author, Hans Christian Andersen.
Danish-angled promotions were underway here in a big way. With Idaho (high percentage of persons of Danish ancestry) and its Democratic senator, Frank Church as host to invitational screening at Motion Picture Assn. headquarters. Ambassador of Denmark Count Kield Gustav Knuth-Winterfeldt was among the guests Monday (4).
Jean Hersholt collection of Andersen, considered to be the second most valuable in the world, was willed to the Library of Congress by the late actor. Dr. Frederick Goff, head of the Library's rare books collection, made a talk at the MPAA party. Sen. Alexander Wiley (R-Wis.) proposed a national Hans Christian Andersen Week be set aside. In a Senate speech, Wiley said it would be a "well-merited tribute" to the author and a step which would strengthen further U.S.-Denmark ties.
Telefeatures has acquired distribution rights to 52 "Pow Wow" cartoons.
Telefeatures gets a library which includes "Nickelodeon Theatre with Jim Backus," "Comedy Carnival" and "Courageous Cat."
Alan Dinehart, formerly with Lennen & Newell Ad Agency, has joined Hanna & Barbera Productions as associate producer on its new ABC-TV series, "The Flintstones."
Edward Everett Horton, June Foray and Daws Butler have been signed by Ward Productions to record the voices for "Fractured Fairy Tales," animated cartoon tv series. Chris Hayward is scripting "Peabody's Improbable History," a seg of the series.
April 7, 1960
Six staffers have been assigned by Format Films' prexy Herbert Klynn to work on the company's new series of 100 "Popeye" color cartoons for tv distribution by King Features Syndicate. Staffers are Harris Steinbrook, Doris Collins and Ruben Apodaca, assistant animators; Evelyn Sherwood and Jane Phillipi, animation checkers; and Boris Gorelick, background.
April 13, 1960
TV CARTOONERY BIZ JUMPIN’
The roster of newies reads like "Who's Who" of animal and cartoonland. There's Courageous Cat, Telefeatures; The Nutty Squirrels, Flamingo; Popeye, King Features; Krazy Kat, Trans-Lux; Pow-Wow, Telefeatures.
And upcoming are "Henry and His Claymates," a stop motion series co-produced by California National Productions and Fremantle; Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding's cartoon series for adult viewing, titled "Bob and Ray's Hollywood Classics," and "The Katzenjammer Kids," one of the three newies being prepped by King Features. Besides the ones tabbed above, there are others coming from Jayark, Governor TV, et al. The established oldies which were brought from the vaultees of the theatrical studies also are enjoying hefty resales to stations across the country.
The tenor of the cartoonery biz —and its relative prosperity when compared to what's happening in the half-hour field—can be gleaned from the activity of MGM-TV. Dick Harper, MGM-TV sales director, was one of the few distributors to do any biz at the recent National Assn. of Broadcasters Chicago convention. He made verbal deals for some $500,000 on MGM cartoons, 135 oldies recently put into tv distribution.. Harper will be spending the next few days following up on his verbal commitments.
Why all this activity in cartoons in a comparative dull syndie period? One reason is that the spreading network option time has not bitten into the kiddie time periods nearly as much. Stations across the country have daytime hours to fill seven days a week. Cartoons bring the kids to the sets and the ratings look good.
Sponsors, too, appear to be riding the cartoons in a healthy number. Type of advertisers range from foods to clothes to toys. Some hefty national spot biz has gone to CBS Films' "Terrytoons" and Screen Gems' "Huckleberry Hound."
There's hardly a syndie outfit now in the biz which doesn't want to include cartoon, series in its catalog. Reason isn't only the present interest in the field, but the long-range plan of many syndicators to build a diversified backlog of product. With one or two exceptions, most syndie outfits find it more economical today to come into a particular market with a variety of product. If the station doesn't need features, half-hour series can be offered, or perhaps cartoons. Having such a diversified catalog brings distribution costs down.
Another development in the cartoonery end is the acceptability of animation footage done abroad. In addition to footage coming from the traditional Western European sources, there's also animated footage coming from Eastern Soviet sources. Both have found a market in the U.S.
There may be a big question mark concerning the post-'48 features, the half-hour series may be encountering the tough sell, but cartoons are bouncing, tumbling, singing, all at once, and even upside down, depending on the gag.
Motion Picture Daily The animated ABCartoon situation-comedy telefilm series which will be co-sponsored by Miles Laboratories and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco during the 1960-61 season on Friday nites, will be titled "The Flintstones" instead of the previously announced "The Flagstones."
"Q.T. Hush, Private Eye," a satirical cartoon series distributed by M & A Alexander, has been sold in a number of markets. Roster of deals include. KHJ, Los Angeles; WGN, Chicago; KJEO, Fresno; KCRA, Sacramento; KTVK, Phoenix; KUTV, Salt Lake City; WLUK, Green Bay; KLYD, Bakersfield; and KNBS, Walla Walla.
April 14, 1960
Motion Picture Daily
"Scent of Mystery," the Michael Todd, Jr., film in Smell-O-Vision!, will change from a reserved seat policy at the Warner Theatre here to a continuous run today. A 70mm cartoon called "Tale of Old Whiff" has been added to the program. Popular prices will now prevail.
April 18, 1960
Jerry Hathcock has been named supervising director of all animation at UPA by president Stephen Bosustow.
April 20, 1960
Veteran lyricist E. Y. (Yip) Harburg attributes the decline of the American film musical to the similarity of the plots and the manner of execution. The public, Harburg maintained, is fed up with "big dance numbers and thin content." He believes that just as audiences are accepting the so-called adult and maturer films, so will they go for tune pix that are "about something" and contain what Harburg calls the "guts of life."
As a result, Harburg feels that the time is propitious for a film version of "Finian's Rainbow," the successful Broadway musical which he wrote in collaboration with Fred Saidy and Burton Lane....
The property recently reverted to the authors after it had been held by Fred Schwartz's Distributors Corp. of America which had planned to make it into a feature-length cartoon. A soundtrack costing about $400,000 is being completely scrapped. It featured the voices of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Logan, David Wayne, Barry Fitzgerald and Jim Backus.
April 26, 1960
Warner Bros, is releasing 15 Technicolor shorts between now and June 25. Lineup includes 11 cartoons: "Lovelorn Leghorn," "Goldimouse And The Three Cats," "Sleepy Time Possum," "Who Scent You," "Cheese Chasers," "Person To Bunny," "Hyde And Go Tweet," "Who's Kitten Who," "Rabbit's Feat," "The Duckaters," "Crockett-Doodle-Do."
Metro hopes to step up its financing of foreign production to two or three films annually from such countries as England, France, Italy and Germany.
An outright acquisition was made two weeks ago by Metro for the Japanese cartoon, "Little Samurai." After it's dubbed into English Metro will make it available for the kiddie trade, probably under the title of "Magic Boy."
May 4, 1960
Screen Gems is getting more mileage out of personal appearances ever since "Huckleberry Hound" and "Quick Draw McGraw" became a fave of children of all ages. The odd situation is that the p.a.'s for the cartoon characters is done by costumed gents. (It's hard to make a real life animated character, even in Hollywood.)
The p.a. tours of Huck, Yogi, and Quick Draw isn't confined to department stores. The costumed characters have opened up the baseball season in Mobile, Ala., appeared with the symphony orchestra in Fort Wayne, Ind., to attract kiddies to performances, have paraded in Chicago and Pittsburgh, etc., etc.
Of course most of their p.a.'s have been in department stores. SG has a big merchansiding campaign going in conjunction with the shows, sponsored by Kelloggs on a national spot basis. The department store p.a.'s give an added lift to sales, described as "animated."
May 6, 1960
Herbert Klynn, president of Format Films, has named Eddie Rehberg, Rosemary O'Conner and Carol Beers to staff to work under Jack Kinney on the "Popeye" tv cartoon series Kinney is producing at Format for King Features Syndicate.
Kinney is now in New York recording Jack Mercer, May Questal and Jackson Beck, who did the original voices for the "Popeye" series over 20 years ago.
May 11, 1960
KROD-TV, El Paso, received a letter from White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico, signed by seven scientists. Letter stated that because of the nerve-wracking work, they would appreciate it if the station would move Huck to a later time slot because they found, it so relaxing, but had a difficulty getting home in time to see it.
Navy men aboard the icebreaker Glacier informed Leo Burnett, agency handling Kellogg, sponsor of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon show, that it named an island off the South Pole Huckleberry Hound. It was discovered last month in Bellingshausen Sea by the U.S.S. Glacier.
Kiddie vidfilm shows are cutting come fancy rating capers, some evidencing a remarkable consistency in market after market. Checkdown of the ARB-VARIETY charts appearing in this issue, shows "Huckleberry Hound," "Popeye," "Quick Draw McGraw," and "Three Stooges" placing among the top 10 in a multiplicity of markets.
Some of the ratings are imposing. In Seattle-Tacoma, "Huckleberry Hound" copped a 36.6 for its Thursday at 6 p.m. slot on KING. I t was number one in the market, followed bv "Three Stooges" with a 30.9 on KOMO. In Philadelphia, "Popeye" was the number one syndicated show in the market. The "Popeye" series there is stripped Monday through Saturday from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
Cartoons making the top 10 syndicated chart this week were as follows: "Huckleberry Hound," among the top 10 in Seattle-Tacoma, Washington, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta, Baltimore.
"Popeye" was among the top 10 In the following cities: Phila- Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta and Baltimore.
"Quick Draw McGraw," placed among top 10 in following markets: Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta and Baltimore. "Three Stooges," a non-cartoon kiddie show, placed among tha top 10 in the cities surveyed In the following markets: Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
There are many five-minute cliff-hanger cartoons which are programmed in a general kiddie show, uch five-minute strips wouldn't show lip in the ARB- Variety Charts which measure half-hour programs, or shows of greater duration.
"Adventures of Spunky and the Tadpole," animated teleseries produced by Beverly Hills Productions, grossed $235,000 for year ended Jan. 31, according to firm's financial statement. Net income was $16,732 on 123,505 shares outstanding. Company is capitalized at $1,000,000, with share par value $1.
May 18, 1960
With the major U.S. film companies almost completely out of the cartoon field, animation companies in foreign countries may become the chief suppliers of both short and feature-length cartoons.
Costs, of course, are the major factor in the new romance with the foreign cartooneries. Estimates differ, but it's figured that a foreign cartoon can be acquired for from 50% to 75% less than one of similar length made in the U.S. These figures are eyeopeners, particularly considered from the standpoint of what theatremen are willing to pay for animated shorts.
There has been a tendency for U.S. film companies to pick up completed foreign-made feature-length cartoons. These animations can be obtained at modest costs. They can easily be dubbed into English, also at a reasonable cost, and are considered eminently suited for release in the U.S. market at a time when the kiddie trade can be captured. The overall investment is small in terms of what it would cost to make a similar feature in the U.S. The return can be exceedingly profitable, if not astronomical.
Examples of this type of operation is Universal’s experience with the Soviet-made "The Snow Queen." The cartoon, acquired outside the cultural exchange program, proved a fairly successful offering for the company during the Easter vacation period. Metro recently acquired a Japanese-made full-lengther titled "The Little Samurai" and is engaged in preparing an English soundtrack. The cartoon will probably be released at a time when the moppet trade can be attracted.
An indie company, Cinemagic International, headed by Phil Davis and Arthur Epstein, has an arrangement with a Yugoslav company for a full cartoon series, either suitable for theatres or television. The series is titled "Hound for Hire." The storyboard is prepared in the U.S. and the actual animations are done in Yugoslavia. The sound portion is also done abroad.
One major company, it has been learned, is considering the possibility of preparing the story for a feature-length cartoon in the U.S. and then farming out the animation activities to a foreign cartoonery.
Norman Brokenshire is getting back into the television picture via a string of new five-minute series to be released through Network Film Industries, headed by Richard Randall. Brokenshire will also act as p.r. administrator for the company.
First out will be "It Happened Today," string of 365 five-minute newsreels of famous events of the past with Brokenshire updating the narration. He'll also narrate a "Cavalcade of Baseball" and ditto for other sports utilizing the five-minute newsreel technique. Ditto on 260 five-minute clips of oddities titled "Incredible— But True."
Also on the slate is series of 50 Japanese cartoons, with Brokenshire, Harold Gary and Phil Kramer dubbing the voices. Network Film Industries is already handling distribution of his 52 five-minute "Your Handyman" segments, filmed a few years back.
Cartoon package, which consists of Barney Bears, Screwy Squirrels, Captain Kids, Droopeys and others, has been sold in some 20 markets. The near $1,000,000 mark is exclusive of the Pete Smith shorts, now anchored in about 10 markets.
One reason for the slower pace on the Pete Smith shorts is that special screening material had to be fashioned by Metro in conjunction with the selling campaign. Metro, in packaging the Pete Smith two reelers, culled 101, eliminating more than half of the Pete Smith library, in order to avoid dated material. The Pete Smith shorts run about 10 minutes and airing of them is due to start on various stations in mid-June. Purchasing stations plan to use them among their cartoon kiddie programs, or work them in preceding or following sports events, or in some cases present them as part of a news show.
Walt Disney has put three film ideas into his hopper, projecting the stories as possible entries on his feature and/or television slate. One is a biopic of Leonardo da Vinci; the others are "Elephant Boy" and "Jungle Book." Versions of latter two, based on Rudyard Kipling stories, were released in 1937 and 1942, respectively, by United Artists.
May 23, 1960
Walter Lantz will be honored by the United Community Funds and Councils of America today at a luncheon at the Ambassador for his contribution of a Technicolor cartoon film which will be used to spearhead the charity organization's fall drive.
May 24, 1960
Emmy Nominations
Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming (A regular program, a special program, or a series. Any length, live, tape or film.)— Captain Kangaroo (Series)-CBS; Huckleberry Hound (Series)— Syndication; Lassie (Series)— CBS; Quick Draw McGraw (Series)- Syndication; Watch Mr. Wizard (Series)-NBC.
May 25, 1960
Martin Gilbert, L.A. ad agency head currently touring Europe in search of films for U.S. release, has picked up two Hungarian and one Russian features, all to be dubbed in English....
Gilbert last year bought the 15-minute Russian cartoon, "Christmas Journey," released nationally over 120 tv stations.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is withholding the Tom and Jerry shorts from tv at this time.
What's holding up the tv release isn't only the fact that the Tom and Jerry cartoons are enjoying a good rerun theatrical ride, but that only a relative handful was made prior to August, '48 cut-off date. Of the more than 125 Tom & Jerry's in the Metro library, over 100 were made after August '48 which brings them smack into the guild residual payment issue.
MGM-TV also feels it might dissipate the Tom & Jerry asset by releasing the 25 cartoons made prior to August, '48. Feeling is that it's much better to come into the tv market with quantity to realize the potentials of the cartoon characters.
Enriki Mathey, formerly an animator with the Disney Studios on the Coast, is currently in New Mexico doing research on aborigines which he plans to incorporate into a full-length animated feature film. Mathey is completing a study of the mountains, plains, pueblos and national monuments of New Mexico and Arizona to back up a theory that an aboriginal people in the area gave birth to the modern Pueblo Indians. He claims he's found fossil impressions, flints and other items to back up his theory.
May 27, 1960
Producers Jay Ward and Bill Scott begin shooting new animated cartoon pilot "Hoppity Hooper" today. Voices will be those of Hans Conried, Alan Reed, Chris Allen and Paul Frees. Pete Burness directs with music by Dennis Farnon.
June 1, 1960
"Deputy Dawg," new cartoon series out of the CBS/Terrytoons production line and quietly sprung on the market a couple of weeks ago by CBS Films, has already pulled down $600,000 in sales in 15 key markets.
Series, available starting Oct. 1, can be utilized as 26 half-hours or in library form as 104 separate cartoons. It's being backed with a heavy merchandising campaign by Murray, Benson's licensing operation at CBS Films, with books, coloring books, costumes, puzzles and games already set and stuffed toys and hand puppets upcoming.
Metropolitan Broadcasting bought the series for its four stations in New York, Washington, Peoria and Sacramento. KTTV bought it in Los Angeles, WBKB in Chicago, WHDH in Boston, WCCO-TV in Minneapolis and WJBK-TV in Detroit, among others.
Trans-Lux Television, which pulled a gold ring with "Felix the Cat," is going ahead with two other five-minute series projects, one a full cartoon series, and the other a project by cartoonist Rube Goldberg. Latter will be part cartoon and part "living" characters.
First to be initiated by under the company's $$,000,000 production-promotion program is "Willie MacBean and His Magic Machine," cartoon series dealing with such subjects as the Trojan Horse, the discovery of fire, invention of the wheel, and the boy from outer space. The "Willie" pilot is ready and the company will be actively selling the series shortly.
The Rube Goldberg series will highlight the zany inventions of the cartoonist. It will be done as a mixture of animation and '"live" characters, embracing a new method worked out by the cartoonist himself. Series will be produced by George George in Hollywood.
"Willie" will, be produced for Trans-Lux by Arthur Rankin Jr. and his Video Craft Co.
"Felix" sales were reported to be over $2,000,000...
Trans-Lux, he added, is expanding rapidly in foreign distribution. It has dubbed "Felix" for the Latino market.
June 3, 1960
Screen rights to Theodore Pratt's novel, "Mr. Limpet," have been secured by New York producer John Rose, a former story editor for Walt Disney. Pic will be done in a combination of animation and live action.
June 6, 1960
UPA Pictures prexy Stephen Bosustow said yesterday his company has embarked on a program designed to more than double its current output—primarily in telefilm and industrials, but also in theatrical product.
Bosustow and Herbert L. Seeley, v.p. and general manager, explained that hiring of Verne Behnke, formerly of CBS Films, as sales manager, is part of an expansion program. Coming out of UPA's sales, rens working with Behnke will be Russ Rayeroft in New York; Bob Kemper, Chicago; Henry Taylor, West. All-Canada Radio & Television Ltd. will represent UPA in Canada.
June 7, 1960
Shortage Of Animators Due To Videmand, Producers Ask Art Inst. To Teach The Art
According to producers Jay Ward and Bill Scott of Ward Productions, "there are only about 1,000 persons trained in the field, and the industry could use at least 2,500 right now." In some cases, it has necessitated producers going out of the country, notably to Japan and Mexico to have their work done.
"The issue is so critical," declared Herb Klynn of Format Films, "we have grouped together and are meeting Thursday night with the Chouinard Art Institute in an effort to have a four-year course set up which will somewhat ease the shortage in the foreseeable future. At the rate of progress this phase of the industry is growing, we can now only barely meet our 1961 commitments and will certainly not be able to expand our programming unless we 'rob' talent from each other."
At the moment, it is known that considerable "moonlighting" is going on, with talent working at one studio during the day and performing for others at night.
Television spot commercials have increased the demand but it is in area of the half-hour animated cartoons that the shortage is most seriously felt. "Cartooning is an essential part of television programming," said Scott, and a successful cartoon series is "worth $7 million dollars." As more talented people entered the field, it became obvious the need for knowledge in the basic crafts was known by but a few, and there has not yet been found a training ground for those who wish to enter the industry.
Jay Ward Productions, planning a one-hour special for this fall, will combine live and cartoon talent in "The Magic of Christmas." However, since the company is already committed to three other shows, it has found it necessary to use animators and artists in Mexico.
"This has proved unsatisfactory," Ward stated, "due to the language barrier. We can't seem to communicate our exact feelings of satire to them and the result is usually not comical or funny but either ludicrous or grotesque."
Among the producers who have banded together to find a practicable solution to the shortage of help, are: Quartet Films, Playhouse Pictures, Hanna - Barbera, Ray Patin Productions, TV Spots, Larry Harmon and Jay Ward. The group has made surveys within Its own ranks and because they have been "vying for particular talent," And they are now "at least 150 people short in key situations and can use 1,000 more right away."
At Chouinard Art Institute, Mr. Mitchell A. Wilder, director, claims there is no such instruction given in any of the universities on the West Coast. "It is a long-range program to satisfy a particular need," he said "and we are meeting with the producers to determine exactly the course of instruction during a four-year course."
The producers have stated they will pay part of the cost of such a program by assigning one of their top executives to teach one day per week, thus providing an adequate faculty to any school program set up.
June 8, 1960
West Coast packager Henry Saperstein is close to firming a deal with Kellogg, through Leo Burnett agency, for a skein of 26 new "Mr. Magoo" cartoons which the cereal company would place in more than 150 markets on a spot basis. "Magoo" television series, which will go Into production as soon as the deal is finalized, probably will supplement or alternate with Kellogg's "Woody Woodpecker" and "Huckleberry Hound" packages. Saperstein owns the tv rights to the Magoo character.
If the sale goes through, Saperstein will become one of the major tv film packagers in the U.S. He now owns "Ding Dong School," "Championship Bowling" and “All Star Golf." Soon he'll go into production on a Dick Tracy series for tv, in association with Chester Gould, creator of the comic strip. Saperstein also holds the merchandising rights to the comic page detective.
He came into tv by way of the character merchandising field, having developed commercial products in the name of Elvis Presley, Debbie Reynolds, "Lone Ranger," "Rifleman," and "Ding Dong School."
June 15, 1960
CBS Films and Al Capp have set a deal for the animation of "Fearless Fosdick" as a half-hour weekly cartoon series geared for prime evening viewing in the 1961-62 season.
Jonathan Winters has been set to do the title voice along with that of other characters, and Rhoda Brown (Ted &) will do the femme voices. Terrytoons, the CBS subsid, is producing the series of 26, and is already in work on a 12-minute presentation reel containing seven minutes of typicalanimation.
Presentation reel will be completed within 30 days, and CBS Films will begin peddling the series in late summer or early fall. Reason for the early sales attempt —a year ahead of airdate, is the complex production schedules involved in a weekly half-hour of animation.
Capp is partnered with CBS Films in the project. He'll also act as on-the-hair host, will supervise the writing and will hire the scripters as well- Three half-hour scripts have already been completed, adaptations of comic books created by Capp. There are about 100 of these stories available. CBS Films will get merchandising rights on future "Fosdick" licensing, though obviously Capp himself has already gotten a lot of merchandising mileage out of the character.
CBS Films is aiming at a network slot with "Fosdick."
Television Personalities Inc., headed by Henry G. Saperstein, has gone into production on an animated cartoon series based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. Intended for syndication, initial skein will have 208 installments of five minutes length, making them adaptable either for separate programming or inclusion in larger kiddie formats on which cartoon films are shown.
Each of the detective's tv outings will contain a complete storyline, with none of the cliffhanger technique used in the newspaper version. The tv yarns, supervised by creator Chester Gould, will be wholly new, none of them reprising the print adventures.
Animation and production is being done at several Hollywood studios.
June 16, 1960
George Pal's Galaxy Pictures, with "tom thumb" in release, has filed protest with MPAA against Warner Bros. cartoon division. WB title: "Tom Thumb and All That Rot."
Motion Picture Daily
Odeal also announced that Tele Features will distribute a new cartoon series, "Magic Cat Theatre," produced by Lou Bunin. Other properties of Tele Features include "Comedy Carnival," which has just been sold in Chicago and Detroit, as well as other major markets, and "Pow-Wow."
June 20, 1960
MGM, which marketed for tv a package of 135 pre-1948 cartoons in April, reports deals exceeding $1,000,000 to date with sale of the block to WABC-TV, N.Y. Total key markets now covered are 25.
June 21, 1960
The Emmy Award Winners
Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming: "Huckleberry Hound" (Series) Syndication.
June 22, 1960
Annency, France, June 14.
Animation, which somewhat languishes, by report, in the United States, is the continued object of French government support, the third annual Animation Film Festival having been held, June 7-12, in this resort town near the Swiss border. Under the Ministry of Culture's Journees du Cinema, this aspect of film-making was originally included as a side-event at Cannes in 1956 and 1958. The notable fact this year was that the prizes tended to go to those countries, mostly Communist, where the art is under state subsidy. The Yugoslavs were especially conspicuous for their achievements.
Over 150 animators and journalists showed up at resort town near Switzerland. Films were unreeled in a large cinema at a 50c matinee charge and $2 for evenings.
The U.S. was represented primarily by non-commercial pix except for the tv "Huckleberry Hound" of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and UP's "Mr. McGoo Frankenstein" (Col).
Jury was headed by American cartoonist John Hubley, whose "Moonbirds," shown out of competition, copped the International Critic's Award. Shown was work of Czech animator Karel Zeman, Russia's Dimitri Babitchenko, France's Henri Gruel and the Canadian Grant Munro.
The jury confronted 82 pix from 14 countries. Though the offbeat was mainly in evidence the Grand Prix, a wire bird on a stone pedestal done by sculptor Nil Maillard, went to Czechoslavakia's Bretislav Pojar his puppet pic "The Lion and the Song." Second prize went to two Czech cartoons, Frantisek Vystrcil's "A Place in the Sun" about two little men fighting for a ray of sun and learning to share it, and Jiri Brdecka's "Watch Out" mixing live footage and cartoons to warn against bellicosity.
Yugoslav took the award for originality and humor with two cartoons, Dusan Vukotic's "The Cow on the Moon" and "Vatroslav Mimica's "At the Photographers," with both displaying witty idea and execution on a child sending off rockets to a moon and a photog's attempt to make a man smile. Yank influences were evident but assimilated well to Yugoslav national tastes and outlook. Yukotic also got the next prize for best music and sound effects for his animated version of a Chekhov tale "The Avenger" about a Jealous husband getting his comeuppance. France got an esthetic research award for Arcady's "Prelude For Voice, Orchestra and Camera." It was somewhat arty in its abstract renditions of music but well made. Special nod for commercial ad entries went to Lemoine and Aymard for their "Necchi" for a weaving factory and Dick Roberts and Jacques Vasseur for their Richards Iron commercial. Best children's pic was the Russo "Petia and Red Riding Hood," a Disneyish story of a boy who gets mixed up with Red Riding Hood. It was an okay entry.
Jury gave a special citation to Charles Chaplin for the influence of his humor and spirit on the animated film comedy.
June 28, 1960
King Features Readying 11 Series; Plans Own Studio To Finance, Distrib Indies
By Ron Silverman
Television arm of King Features Syndicate is in the initial stages of an expanded production-distribution program involving animated and live-action filming of 11 projected tv series. First project—production of 208 5 1/2-minute "Popeye" cartoons—currently is underway in Hollywood and New York under the executive supervision of Al Brodax, director of television for King Features.
Joining Popeye on King's future tv slates are such well-known cartoon characters as the Little King, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Krazy Kat, Mandrake the Magician, Beetle Bailey, Prince Valiant, The Phantom, Little Iodine and Juliet Jones. All are part of the comic strip stable of King Features, a division of Hearst Newspapers.
Biggest of the immediate new plans is a half-hour series entitled "Animated Omnibus," a trilogy comprised of Google & Smith, Krazy Kat and a new property, "Samson Scrap and Delilah." Each segment of "Omnibus" will consist three animated shorts plus emceeing by The Little King, a character who has never talked in all his years of comic stripping. Pilot on the "Samson" portion has been completed in New York, where King Features has taken over about 90% of the physical facilities of Paramount's cartoon division. Pilots on the other two portions of "Omnibus" will be done here by Format Films.
Additionally, pilots will be filmed this fall on "Mandrake," as a live-action series. John O'Toole is penning the script, with negotiations now current for Haitian dancer Geoffrey Holder to essay the costarring role of "Lothar."
Also slated for fall is the taping in Canada of a bridge show based on Jay Becker's bridge column in the Hearst papers. Brodax explained all production costs on the show will be paid for by Canadian sales alone.
A $2 Mil A Year Operation
King Features' tv operation—planned at about $2,000,000 a year—entails production and distribution of its own projects as well as financing and distribution of outside packages. Brodax currently is negotiating for two outside packages, one of which would be produced as well as distributed by King.
A strong possibility for filming within the next two years is a series based on "Beetle Bailey," reported to be second largest cartoon strip in the country, just behind "Blondie." Other possibilities are "Prince Valiant" and "The Phantom," with negotiations now being closed with Jimmy Hatlo for his "They'll Do It Everytime" in conjunction with "Little Iodine." Projected plans on "The Heart of Juliet Jones" is to do the property live as a five-day-a-week soap opera.
While "Popeye" is being filmed for syndication, future King projects will be aimed initially for network airing, either in the form of a single half-hour show or combination of three 7-minute shorts. "Popeye" already has been sold to 70 individual tv stations, with the first 60 color segments to be delivered for fall airing and about 10 a month thereafter. KTLA has bought the show locally. Gross to date on the "Popeye" sales is $4,000,000, Brodax said, adding KFS expects another 80 station sales. The 208 segments are apart from the 234 theatrical "Popeye" cartoons now being distributed to tv by United Artists Associated.
Plan Theatrical Feature
Firm plans to establish its own permanent studio and staff and, to get the animation operation off the ground, produce a theatrical feature prior to launching the tv work. Hand-in-hand with all production is King Features' merchandising operation, headed by Chester Well, which "brings in as much it not more than the actual films."
Theatrically, King Features also will produce 10 to 12 "Popeye" cartoons a year, thus taking over the operation from Paramount. The transfer of comic strips to tv has received a strong shot in the arm from the success of "Dennis the Menace," Brodax said. "We must proceed with caution, though. People really fall in love with cartoon characters. If you don't satisfy them in transferring the characters to film, they'll hit you over the head."
Brodax, who handled the King Features account when he was with the William Morris Agency, is in Hollywood supervising the remaining production on "Popeye." He returns to N.Y. in fall.
June 29, 1960
Jayark Films' "Bozo the Clown" cartoon series is going international in a big way, according to Harvey Victor, syndie firm's sales veepee.
Already in markets throughout the U.S. and Australia and South America, the clown kid strip is being pitched to tele stations in Japan, the Phillippines and Guam. With air dates already set, Victor says "Bozo" will be telecasting in five languages as soon as Japanese dubbing is completed.
Bozo of the animated series is drawn so that he can be imitated by a live costumed emcee.
June 30, 1960
Chanford Productions this week came out victorious over Walt Disney in the MPAA title arbitration hearing on "Snow White and the Three Stooges." With company now having full rights to the title, 20th-Fox is interested in the project.
If deal is wrapped up between Chanford and 20th, it presumably would mark first film work for the Three Stooges outside Columbia Studios, where the comics appeared in more than 200 shorts and three features.
Frank Tashlin will write and direct "Snow White and the Three Stooges" for Chanford v.p. Charles Wick, who would produce for the company headed by Frances Langford. Scheduling of the film depends on the availability of Tashlin, who has his own three-picture deal with 20th.
Disney, of course, protested the Chanford title on the grounds it conflicts with his "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." MPAA Title Registration Bureau, in the arbitration hearing held Tueaday, reportedly determined the "Snow White"" portion of the title is in public domain — taken from the original fairytale, "Snow White and Rose Red" — and that incorporation of the "Three Stooges" name would prevent any conflict with the "Seven Dwarfs" portion of the Disney tag.
